List of first African-American mayors
The first African American mayors were elected during Reconstruction in the Southern United States beginning about 1867. African Americans in the South were also elected to many local offices, such as sheriff or Justice of the Peace, and state offices such as legislatures as well as a smaller number to Federal offices. After this period ended in 1876, white supremacists and a resurgent Democrst Party made it increasingly difficult for African Americans to compete in elections due to racial discrimination such as Jim Crow laws. After the end of the 19th century it generally was not until the 1960s, they again began to be elected or appointed to mayoral positions following the achievements of the civil rights movement and passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. Achievements in African Americans' being elected mayor in majority-European American and other municipalities made their political participation one of daily life in many localities.
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19th century: 1860s • 1870s • 1880s |
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1860s
- 1868
- First African American elected mayor of a U.S. town: Pierre Caliste Landry, Donaldsonville, Louisiana[1]
- First African-American mayor of Kingstree, South Carolina: Stephen Atkins Swails
- 1869
- First African-American mayor of Maryville, Tennessee: W. B. Scott[2]
1870s
- 1870
- First African American elected mayor of a Mississippi city: Robert H. Wood, Natchez, Mississippi[3][4]
- 1878
- First African American elected to serve as mayor in the state of New York: Edward "Ned" Sherman, Cleveland, New York[5][6]
1880s
- 1888
- First African-American mayor of a predominantly white U.S. town, and of a Western U.S. town: Edward Duplex, Wheatland, California[7]
1960s
- 1964
- First African-American mayor of a large U.S. city: George D. Carroll, Richmond, California
- 1966
- First African-American mayor of Flint, Michigan: Floyd J. McCree[8]
- First African-American mayor in the state of California: Tom Yarborough, Lake Elsinore, California
- 1967
- First elected (1967) African-American mayor of a large U.S. city: Richard G. Hatcher, Gary, Indiana[9]
- First African-American mayor of a large U.S. city: Carl Stokes, Cleveland, Ohio
- First African American appointed mayor of Washington, D.C.: Walter Washington (see also: 1975)
- First African American elected mayor of Ypsilanti, Michigan: John Burton [10]
- 1968
- First African American elected Mayor of Montclair, New Jersey: Matthew G. Carter[11]
- First African-American mayor of a Kentucky city: Luska Twyman, Glasgow, Kentucky
- First African American elected mayor of a predominantly white southern city: Howard Nathaniel Lee, Chapel Hill, North Carolina[12]
- 1969
- First African American elected mayor of Fayette, Mississippi: Charles Evers[13]
1970s
- 1970
- First African American elected mayor of Newark, New Jersey: Kenneth A. Gibson
- First African American elected mayor of Dayton, Ohio: James H. McGee
- First African American appointed mayor of Wichita, Kansas: A. Price Woodard[14]
- First African-American elected mayor of Salina, Kansas: Robert C. Caldwell[15]
- 1971
- First African American appointed mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan: Lyman Parks (see also: 1973)
- First African-American mayor of Englewood, New Jersey: Walter Scott Taylor[16]
- 1972
- First African-American mayor of Tallahassee, Florida and first African-American mayor of a state capital: James R. Ford
- First African-American mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio: Ted Berry
- 1973
- First African American elected mayor of Detroit, Michigan: Coleman Young
- First African American elected mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina: Clarence Lightner
- First African American elected mayor of a Georgia city: Richmond D. Hill, Greenville[17][18][19]
- First African American elected mayor of a major Southern city: Maynard Jackson, Atlanta, Georgia[20]
- First African American elected mayor of a major Western city: Tom Bradley, Los Angeles, California
- First African-American woman mayor: Lelia Foley, Taft, Oklahoma[21]
- First African-American woman mayor of a major satellite city: Doris A. Davis, Compton, California[22]
- First African American elected mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan: Lyman Parks (see also: 1971)
- 1974
- First African American elected mayor of Waco, Texas: Oscar Du Conge[23]
- 1975
- First African American elected mayor, and first elected mayor, of Washington, D.C.: Walter Washington (see also: 1967)
- 1976
- First African American elected mayor of Pocatello, Idaho and first African American elected mayor in the state of Idaho: Thomas L. Purce[24]
- 1977
- First African-American mayor of Richmond, Virginia: Henry L. Marsh[25] (Note: elected from within nine City Council members; changed to general election in 2003)
- 1978
- First African American elected mayor of Oakland, California: Lionel Wilson
- First African American elected mayor of New Orleans: Ernest Nathan Morial
- 1979
- First African American elected mayor of Birmingham, Alabama: Richard Arrington, Jr.
1980s
- 1981
- First African American elected mayor of Camden, New Jersey: Randy Primas[26]
- First African American elected mayor of Spokane, Washington: James Everett Chase
- First African American elected mayor of Plainfield, New Jersey, and first African American elected mayor in Central New Jersey: Everett C. Lattimore[27]
- First African-American mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas: Charles E. Bussey Jr.[28]
- First African-American mayor of Winter Haven, Florida: Lemuel Geathers
- 1982
- First African American succeeds to the office of mayor of Memphis, Tennessee after the resignation of his predecessor: J.O. Patterson, Jr.[29]
- 1983
- First African American elected Mayor of Chicago: Harold Washington
- First African American elected mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina: Harvey Gantt
- First African American elected Mayor of Flint: James Sharp
- 1984
- First African American elected Mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey: James L. Usry
- First African American elected Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Wilson Goode
- First African American elected mayor of Portsmouth, Virginia: James W. Holley, III
- 1985
- First African-American appointed mayor of Gainesville, Georgia: John W. Morrow Jr.[30][31]
- First African American elected mayor of Mount Vernon, New York, and first African American elected mayor in New York state: Ronald Blackwood[32]
- First African American appointed mayor of Mount Pleasant, Tennessee and first African-American appointed mayor in the state of Tennessee: Willie B. Baker[33][34]
- 1986
- First African American and first woman mayor of Newport News, Virginia: Jessie M. Rattley[35]
- 1987
- First African American woman elected mayor of a major city Hartford, Connecticut: Carrie Saxon Perry
- First African American succeeds to the office of mayor of Baltimore, Maryland: Clarence H. Burns
- First African American elected mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska: James C. Hayes[36]
- First African American elected mayor of Tacoma, Washington: Harold Moss[37]
- First African American woman and first woman mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas: Lottie Shackelford
- 1988
- First African American elected mayor of Baltimore, Maryland: Kurt Schmoke
- First African American elected mayor of Hempstead, New York: James A. Garner
- 1989
- First African American elected mayor of New York, New York: David Dinkins
- First African American elected mayor of New Haven, Connecticut: John C. Daniels
- First African American elected mayor of Richmond, California: George Livingston[38]
- First African American elected mayor of Rockford, Illinois: Charles Box
- First African American elected mayor of Seattle, Washington: Norm Rice
- First African American succeeds to the office of mayor of Minden, Louisiana, via recall of his predecessor: Robert T. Tobin
1990s
- 1990
- First African American elected Mayor of Trenton, New Jersey: Douglas Palmer
- First African American elected mayor of New Bern, North Carolina: Leander R. "Lee" Morgan[39]
- First African-American mayor of Lynchburg, Virginia: M.W. Thornhill Jr.[40]
- First African American elected mayor of Chandler, Arizona: Coy Payne
- 1991
- First African American elected mayor of Memphis, Tennessee: W. W. Herenton
- First African American elected mayor of Denver, Colorado: Wellington Webb
- First African American elected mayor of Kansas City, Missouri: Emanuel Cleaver
- First African American woman elected mayor of Washington, D.C.: Sharon Pratt Kelly
- 1992
- First African American male elected mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts: Kenneth Reeves
- First African American elected mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska: James C. Hayes[41]
- 1993
- First African American elected mayor of St. Louis, Missouri: Freeman Bosley, Jr.
- First African American elected mayor of Rochester, New York: William A. Johnson, Jr.
- 1994
- First African American and first woman elected mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota: Sharon Sayles Belton
- 1995
- First African American elected mayor of Dallas, Texas: Ron Kirk
- First African American elected mayor of Savannah, Georgia: Floyd Adams, Jr.
- 1996
- First African American elected mayor of San Francisco, California: Willie Brown
- First African American elected mayor of Monroe, Louisiana: Abe E. Pierce, III
- First African American elected mayor of Pleasant Valley, Missouri: Abram "Abe" McGull[42]
- 1997
- First African American elected mayor of Jackson, Mississippi: Harvey Johnson, Jr.
- First African American elected mayor of Houston, Texas: Lee P. Brown
- First African American elected mayor of Des Moines, Iowa: Preston Daniels[43]
- First African American elected mayor of Paterson, New Jersey: Martin G. Barnes
- First African-American succeeds to the mayor of Colorado Springs, Colorado after the resignation of his predecessor: Leon Young[44]
- 1998
- First African-American mayor of Jasper, Texas: R. C. Horn[45]
- First African-American female elected mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts: E. Denise Simmons
- First African-American mayor of Hopewell, Virginia: Curtis West Harris
- 1999
2000s
- 2000
- First African American elected mayor of Columbus, Ohio: Michael B. Coleman
- First African American elected mayor of Selma, Alabama: James Perkins, Jr.
- First African American elected mayor of Oceanside, California: Terry Johnson[46]
- First African American woman elected mayor of Worland, Wyoming: LaVertha Gotier[47]
- 2001
- First African American elected mayor of Hattiesburg, Mississippi: Johnny DuPree[48]
- First African-American woman mayor of a major Southern city, and first woman to be elected mayor of Atlanta, Georgia: Shirley Franklin[49]
- First African American and first woman elected mayor of Southfield, Michigan: Brenda L. Lawrence
- First African American elected mayor of Fayetteville, North Carolina: Marshall Pitts Jr.[50]
- First African-American female Republican elected mayor of Tchula, Mississippi: Yvonne Brown[51]
- First African American Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey: Glenn Cunningham[52]
- First African-American appointed female mayor of Gainesville, Georgia: Myrtle Figueras[53]
- 2002
- First African-American woman elected mayor of Dayton, Ohio: Rhine McLin
- First African American elected mayor of Toledo, Ohio: Jack Ford
- 2003
- First African-American elected mayor of Palm Springs, California: Ron Oden
- First African American elected by citizens as mayor of Tallahassee, Florida: John Marks
- First African-American elected mayor, and first elected mayor, of San Ramon, California: H. Abram Wilson
- 2004
- First African American elected mayor of Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Kip Holden
- First African-American mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Marvin Pratt
- First African American elected mayor of Pine Bluff, Arkansas: Carl A. Redus Jr.[54]
- First African-American elected female mayor of Waco, Texas: Mae Jackson[55]
- 2005
- First African American elected mayor of Buffalo, New York: Byron Brown
- First African American elected mayor of Mobile, Alabama: Sam Jones
- First African American elected mayor of Asheville, North Carolina: Terry Bellamy
- First African American elected mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio: Mark Mallory
- First African American elected mayor of Youngstown, Ohio: Jay Williams
- First African American and woman elected mayor of Greenwood, Mississippi: Sheriel F. Perkins [56]
- First African-American succeeds to the office of mayor of Orlando, Florida: Ernest Page[57]
- 2006
- First African American elected mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana: Cedric Glover
- First African American elected mayor of Anderson, South Carolina: Terence Roberts
- First African American elected mayor of Killeen, Texas: Timothy Hancock [58]
- 2007
- First African-American woman and first woman elected mayor of Baltimore, Maryland: Sheila Dixon
- First African American elected mayor of Greensboro, North Carolina: Yvonne Johnson
- First African American elected mayor of Wichita, Kansas: Carl Brewer
- First African American elected mayor of South Harrison Township, New Jersey: Charles Tyson[59]
- 2008
- First African American elected mayor of Blue Springs, Missouri: Carson Ross
- First African American elected mayor of Lancaster, Texas: Marcus Knight
- First African American elected mayor of Mansfield, Ohio: Donald Culliver
- First African American elected mayor of Sacramento, California: Kevin Johnson
- First African American mayor of Festus, Missouri: Earl Cook[60]
- First African-American and first woman elected mayor of Cambridge, Maryland: Victoria Jackson-Stanley
- 2009
- First African American elected mayor of Philadelphia, Mississippi: James Young
- First African American elected mayor of Freeport, New York: Andrew Hardwick[61]
- First African-American woman elected mayor of Brentwood, Maryland: Xzavier Montgomery-Wright[62]
2010s
- 2010
- First African-American woman elected mayor of Fontana, California: Acquanetta Warren[63]
- First African American elected mayor of Columbia, South Carolina: Stephen K. Benjamin
- 2011
- First African American elected mayor of Jacksonville, Florida: Alvin Brown[64]
- First African-American mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee: Daniel Brown
- First African-American woman elected mayor of Savannah, Georgia: Edna Jackson[65]
- 2012
- First African-American mayor of Ithaca, New York: Svante Myrick
- First African-American mayor of Antioch, California: Wade Harper[66]
- First African American and first female mayor of Orrville, Alabama: Louvenia Diane Lumpkin[67]
- First African-American mayor of Phenix City, Alabama: Eddie Lowe
- First African-American woman and first woman elected mayor of Gary, Indiana: Karen Freeman-Wilson[68]
- 2013
- First African-American mayor of Plano, Texas: Harry LaRosiliere
- First African-American mayor of Meridian, Mississippi: Percy Bland
- 2014
- First African-American Mayor of Quitman, Georgia: James C. Brown III [69]
- First African-American Mayor of Adairsville, Georgia: Kenneth J. Carson
- First African-American mayor of Brunswick, Georgia: Cornell Harvey
- First African-American female mayor of San Antonio, Texas: Ivy Taylor[70]
- First African-American woman elected mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana: Ollie Tyler
- First African-American female Mayor of Teaneck, New Jersey, as well as the first African-American female mayor of any municipality in Bergen County, New Jersey: Lizette Parker[71]
- Second African-American mayor of Rochester, New York: Lovely Warren, also first Female African-American mayor of Rochester.
- 2015
- First African American and first African-American woman elected mayor of Pearsall, Texas: Mary Moore[72]
- First African American and first African-American woman elected mayor of Conway, South Carolina: Barbara Blain-Bellamy[73]
- First African American elected mayor of Camilla, Georgia: Rufus L Davis II[74]
- First African-American woman elected mayor of Toledo, Ohio: Paula Hicks-Hudson
- First African-American woman and first woman elected mayor of Flint, Michigan: Karen Weaver
- 2016
- First African-American and first African-American female mayor of Midland City, Alabama: Jo Ann Bennett Grimsley[75]
- First African American elected mayor of Norfolk, Virginia: Kenneth Alexander[76]
- First African American elected mayor of Stockton, California: Michael Tubbs[77]
- 2017
- First African American elected mayor of Stamps, Arkansas: Brenda Davis[78]
- First African-American woman elected mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina: Vi Lyles
- First African American elected mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota: Melvin Carter
- First African American elected mayor of Waukegan, Illinois: Sam Cunningham[79]
- First African American elected mayor of Aurora, Illinois: Richard C. Irvin[80]
- 2018
- First African American elected mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas: Frank Scott Jr.
- First African American mayor of Brookneal, Virginia: James Nowlin
- First African American mayor of Orange County, Florida: Jerry Demings
- First African American mayor of Helena, Montana: Wilmot Collins[81]
- 2019
- First African American elected Mayor of Manor, Texas: Dr. Larry Wallace Jr.
- First African American woman and first openly gay elected Mayor of Chicago: Lori Lightfoot
- First African American mayor of Lewisburg, West Virginia: Beverly White
- First African American elected mayor of Elyria, Ohio: Frank Whitfield[82]
- First African American elected Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama: Steven Reed
- First African American elected mayor of Talladega, Alabama: Timothy Ragland
- First African American elected mayor of Irmo, South Carolina: Barry Walker
- First African American elected mayor of Eastpointe, Michigan: Monique Owens[83]
- First African American elected mayor of New Castle, Pennsylvania: Chris Frye
- First African American elected mayor of Wyoming, Ohio: Thaddeus Hoffmeister
2020s
- 2020
- First African American elected mayor of Ferguson, Missouri: Ella Jones
- First African American elected mayor of Tempe, Arizona: Corey Woods[84]
- First African American elected mayor of Lake View, Alabama: Dr. Adrain Dudley
See also
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